Credit: Nominees and guests arrive on the red carpet for the 65th Annual Antoinette Perry "Tony" Awards. The 2011 Tony Awards were presented by the American Theatre Wing and the Broadway League, and held at the Beacon Theatre in NYC.

Nominees and guests arrive for the 65th Tony Awards held in NYU

chris-rock-custody-battle-over-adopted-daughter-06

Chris Rock and his wife, Malaak Compton-Rock, did what more people in the world should do — they welcomed an adopted child into their family!

3 of 10

chris-rock-custody-battle-over-adopted-daughter-05

However, officials are now calling into question whether the 50-year-old and his 46-year-old wife went by the books when they brought then 9-month-old Ntombi-ruthi back from South Africa.

4 of 10

chris-rock-custody-battle-over-adopted-daughter-04

According to South African officials, Chris and Malaak brought the girl back to the United States on a tourist visa, and not through a legal adoption.

5 of 10

chris-rock-custody-battle-over-adopted-daughter-03

"Whatever arrangement there was between the Rocks and the child's parents, laws are in place to prevent [parents] from allowing their children to travel overseas indefinitely with third parties," a South African detective explained.

6 of 10

chris-rock-custody-battle-over-adopted-daughter-09

Now, the case is being investigated by the country's Department of Home Affairs.

7 of 10

chris-rock-custody-battle-over-adopted-daughter-02

"If money, or even gifts, changed hands in return for the child, it sounds very much like child trafficking."

8 of 10

chris-rock-custody-battle-over-adopted-daughter-01

But Chris has a much different version of the story, claiming that she had not been adopted because she is actually "the daughter of a family friend" — not the adopted daughter that his wife claimed her to be.

9 of 10

chris-rock-custody-battle-over-adopted-daughter-07

The issue first came to light last December when Chris filed for divorce, and only listed his two biological daughters, Lola and Zahra, as his dependents. Malaak then protested, saying that he should take financial care of Ntombi-ruthi too.

10 of 10

chris-rock-custody-battle-over-adopted-daughter-08

Either way, an insider surmised, there are no winners in this ordeal. "It's a horrendous situation, no matter how you look at it. They always referred to Ntombi-ruthi as one of their own, and Chris has just abandoned her."

Nominees and guests arrive for the 65th Tony Awards held in NYU

chris-rock-custody-battle-over-adopted-daughter-06

Chris Rock and his wife, Malaak Compton-Rock, did what more people in the world should do — they welcomed an adopted child into their family!

chris-rock-custody-battle-over-adopted-daughter-05

However, officials are now calling into question whether the 50-year-old and his 46-year-old wife went by the books when they brought then 9-month-old Ntombi-ruthi back from South Africa.

chris-rock-custody-battle-over-adopted-daughter-04

According to South African officials, Chris and Malaak brought the girl back to the United States on a tourist visa, and not through a legal adoption.

chris-rock-custody-battle-over-adopted-daughter-03

"Whatever arrangement there was between the Rocks and the child's parents, laws are in place to prevent [parents] from allowing their children to travel overseas indefinitely with third parties," a South African detective explained.

chris-rock-custody-battle-over-adopted-daughter-09

Now, the case is being investigated by the country's Department of Home Affairs.

chris-rock-custody-battle-over-adopted-daughter-02

"If money, or even gifts, changed hands in return for the child, it sounds very much like child trafficking."

chris-rock-custody-battle-over-adopted-daughter-01

But Chris has a much different version of the story, claiming that she had not been adopted because she is actually "the daughter of a family friend" — not the adopted daughter that his wife claimed her to be.

chris-rock-custody-battle-over-adopted-daughter-07

The issue first came to light last December when Chris filed for divorce, and only listed his two biological daughters, Lola and Zahra, as his dependents. Malaak then protested, saying that he should take financial care of Ntombi-ruthi too.

chris-rock-custody-battle-over-adopted-daughter-08

Either way, an insider surmised, there are no winners in this ordeal. "It's a horrendous situation, no matter how you look at it. They always referred to Ntombi-ruthi as one of their own, and Chris has just abandoned her."